


Patience Makes Perfect

by Metal_Chocobo



Category: Women's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Dragons, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-04-19
Packaged: 2018-10-16 17:55:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10576470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Metal_Chocobo/pseuds/Metal_Chocobo
Summary: Apprentice dragon slayer Marie tries to beat her new mentor, Julie, in a spar.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU based on _The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim_ , by E.K. Johnston. I couldn't resist the premise, after all, who wouldn't want fic about Canadian dragon slayers?

“Today’s the day you’re going to beat me, right?” Julie grinned.

“I sure hope so,” Marie agreed as she tightened the bandoleer across her chest. The sword and scabbard now felt secure against her back and shoulder. “You going to go easy on me?”

“Never. A dragon wouldn’t, so why should I?” Julie asked. “Besides, the victory wouldn’t feel right if you only got it because I was going easy.”

Marie wasn’t so sure about that, but she didn’t get a chance to argue. Caro had just walked into the backyard and Julie was already striding over to the injured dragon slayer. Marie was just happy to see her mentor walking with a cane—she had been so scared Caro would lose that leg entirely when the dragon bit it back in August—but Julie seemed to think Caro ought to watch today’s practice from inside. Apparently, the cold would be bad for the still healing femur, even though it was a positively balmy day for February in Montreal.

“Hey, let me see your sword,” Charlie said, tapping Marie on the shoulder. “She’s going to be fussing about Caro for a while and I want to make certain you’re taking care of it like I told you to.”

“Isn’t worrying about Caro your job?” Marie asked. Still, she pulled out her blade and handed it over to Charlie without a second thought. Charlie had made it for her, so the least Marie could do was allow her to inspect it.

“Naw, that was just a hobby for me. I’m leaving that up to a professional now,” Charlie said. She turned the sword over in her hands and ran a finger down along the dulled blade. Then she returned the weapon, handle first. Marie quickly sheathed it. “Give this a good scrubbing with some steel wool after practice today, but otherwise I’m pleased with how you’re taking care of your practice sword. Now, how are you going to beat Julie?”

“I’m hoping for a lucky hit?” Marie hazarded. She’d been sparring with Julie for months and nothing seemed to work. Not the techniques Caro had taught her, nothing Julie taught her, and nothing she had seen in movies or dreamed up herself. She could still count the number of direct hits she’d landed on one hand.

“That’s a terrible plan,” Charlie said. “You can’t count on luck when slaying a dragon.”

“I know,” Marie sighed.

“Luckily I’ve got an idea.”

“Oh yeah? Do you even know how to use a sword?”

“Of course I do. I mean, considering how many of these things I’ve made over the years, do you really expect me not to know how to use one?” Charlie scoffed. Marie had to admit that was a silly assumption on her part. “Okay, so I’ve watched almost every match between you and Julie. I’ve also seen a lot of her slayings. What I’ve noticed is that despite her defensive fighting style, she leaves a lot of gaps on her right side. Lots of dragon slayers do this with their sword arm, so it’s not like she’s unique in this, and a solid blow to her ribs on that side would win you the match.”

“I haven’t noticed any gaps in her defense.”

“That’s because you tend to strike back and forth: left, right, left right. Focus your attacks on her left. Like, really drill that shield of hers until you’re half deaf and then whip around to hit her right side for the killing blow. You’re fast enough that if you’ve got her expecting all the hits to her left, she won’t be able to react in time to block a right-sided blow.”

“Okay,” Marie said. The plan was simple, but better than anything she had come up with in weeks. “I’ll give it a shot.”

“That a girl,” Charlie laughed, clapping Marie on the shoulder. “Julie, you’re burning daylight! Stop mothering Caro and come fight before I have to turn the floodlights on!”

Julie looked up from the quilt she was tucking around Caro, who was now seated on a lawn chair. Marie hadn’t even seen her go into the house for the blanket. “I’ll be there in a sec.”

Caro touched her wrist and said something too soft for Marie to catch from across the yard. Whatever it was made Julie laugh. Then she straightened and ambled back to the practice ring. Charlie grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like finally and joined Caro on the sidelines. They were finally going to start.

Marie drew her blade and held it with both hands. Normally she used it one-handed and kept a shield in her off hand, but Julie hadn’t been attacking lately in their spars; the point was for Marie to crack her defense. If they were actually fighting a dragon, she’d either have a shield on her arm or else a proper two-handed sword that could pierce the dragon deeply enough to reach both hearts.

Julie drew her sword as well. She tapped it twice against her shield and then motioned for Marie to attack. As was her habit, Marie charged straight at her opponent. Evasive maneuvers were a good idea, but unless her opponent could actually employ projectiles, she never saw the point. She slammed her sword into Julie’s shield with as much force as she could muster. There was a clatter and the blow pushed Julie back several inches. However, her shield stayed in position and with a quick flick of her blade, Marie was forced to retreat a few paces.

Sticking to the plan, Marie focused on Julie’s left side. Most of the blows hit her shield, but Julie regularly parried and pushed Marie back with her sword. This pattern continued for quite a while until both women were sweaty. When Julie lifted a hand to wipe sweat from her brow, Marie saw her chance.

Whipping her blade in an arc over Julie’s head lightning fast, Marie went for the killing blow. She could feel the blood pounding in her ears as her adrenaline surged. It was a perfect swing that would sink into Julie’s side between her ribs if it were a regular sword. This was exactly the sort of blow that would win Marie her first spar.

The next thing she knew she was on the ground with a throbbing forehead. If a dragon had smacked her like that, Marie would be dead. She couldn’t see a thing, but at least she still had her sword in hand. She got on her knees, trying to get up, but her head really hurt. She felt a warm hand lightly brush against her forehead, which sent another wave of pain through her.

“Didn’t mean to bean you that badly,” Julie said. “Charlie, are there any ice packs in the fridge?”

“Yeah. On it,” Charlie replied.

“I was wondering when you’d try that particular tactic,” Julie continued. Marie’s vision cleared enough that she could see the dragon slayer crouched in front of her. She ran her fingers through Marie’s hair, feeling along her scalp. “We’re done with training for the day. How are you feeling?”

“How did you know what I was going to do?” Marie asked. She shook her head. There wasn’t any fuzz left to her vision, but she wasn’t about to try getting up—at least not unless she had to.

“Do you think you’re the first apprentice to try and get me under my sword arm? My last apprentice, Hilary, made a point of stabbing at it every spar,” Julie laughed. She patted all along her right arm and it made a light pinging noise as if she were tapping metal. “I wear steel plating along the bottom of this arm if I’m fighting. It’s lighter than a second shield and gives me a chance to knock away an errant claw or sword if something gets too close to my flank. Admittedly, it’s not a lot of extra protection, but I’m willing to take a risk for the speed and mobility.”

“I had no idea,” Marie mumbled.

“Forgot you had that. Sorry, Pou,” Charlie said, gently placing a freezing ice pack against Marie’s forehead. She hissed at the contact. “Looks like you’ve got a goose egg forming.”

“When I jabbed down to block your blade, I accidentally slammed the pommel of my sword into your forehead,” Julie explained. “Hilary’s a lot taller than you are and the move’s basically instinctual for me these days, so I didn’t think to even try avoiding your head.”

“I’m not trying this again,” Marie laughed. “Ouch my head hurts.”

“Do you remember last week’s spar?” Caro asked. She stopped by Marie’s side, but didn’t crouch down beside her like the others. Instead she leaned on her cane. “You were on the right track. That’s the fight you pushed Julie the most in and if you keep practicing, you will eventually crack her defenses.”

“You’ll also be ready to take out _Draconis armadilis_ in your sleep,” Julie added. “It’s the same attack pattern.”

“But I want to be able to do it now,” Marie whined. She hated that the words slipped out, but her head hurt and she still had to write a lit paper tonight.

“Shortcuts in dragon slaying only lead to death,” Julie said. Caro and Charlie nodded in agreement. “You’re doing really well, Marie. You’re far faster than I was at your age. Add another two years of muscle development and you’ll be a force to be reckoned with when you enter the service. However, you need to learn patience. That’s what most of my lessons are about, since Caro already gave you the basic building blocks.”

“Waiting until the right opening arises is the difference between a clean kill and your own death,” Caro added. She and Julie exchanged a smile. “That’s why when I got hurt I insisted Montreal hire Julie until I recovered. There are lots of unsigned dragon slayers who could keep the city from burning, but she’s the only one I trust with your education and well being.”

“Okay I get the point, wise sensei,” Marie said. She sheathed her sword and slowly rose to her feet. Nothing wobbled or felt off, other than her forehead, so she figured she was alright. “I promise to work on my patience, but for now I need to go do my homework. Is that cool with you?”

“Of course. Why don’t you go inside? I’ll clean up today, so you can rest,” Julie said. “Promise to let one of us know if you feel at all funny or off.”

“And I’ll help,” Caro said.

Julie’s eyes narrowed. “You need to go inside.”

As the two began arguing about Caro’s health, Charlie wrapped an arm around Marie’s shoulders and steered her toward the house. “They’re going to be bickering for a while. Come on inside, I’ll make you a cocoa.”

“Okay,” Marie agreed. She may not have beaten Julie today, but she could be patient. She’d keep practicing and training so that some day in the near future she could beat Julie in a spar. Then she’d finally be ready to slay her first dragon on her own.

She walked with Charlie back toward the house, but just as she was about to step into the building, a shadow passed over her. Looking up, Marie spotted a massive red dragon soaring through the clouds. It was headed toward Montreal’s industrial section. The meager smoke from Charlie’s forge hadn’t tempted it from its original target in the slightest. Marie broke free of Charlie’s grip, the thrill of the hunt already coursing through her veins. As she ran to fetch her real sword she shouted, “That cocoa will have to wait! Julie, we’ve got company!”


End file.
